1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to belts, and more particularly to belts for securing and supporting various accessories about the waist of a user.
2. Background Information
Protective personnel, such as military, law enforcement, and security personnel, require an extensive array of accessories during the performance of their assigned duties. For example, typical law enforcement personnel must carry and have ready access to a wide range of accessories, such as a night stick, flashlight, chemical agent dispenser, handcuffs, communication radio, firearm, and several extra magazines of rounds for the firearm. The total weight for this array of accessories is often between 15 and 25 lbs. Typically, the accessories are attached to a belt worn upon the waist of a user, the belt referred to as a “duty belt” in the art. A typical prior art duty belt is formed from a semi-rigid material, such as leather, having a constant width of 2 to 2.25 inches. Each of these various accessories and tools are attached to the duty belt through the use of loops on the tools which then connect to the duty belt. The loops are coupled to the accessory cases, usually permanently, and the duty belt is then slipped through the loops, coupling the accessories to the duty belt while allowing the position of the accessory cases to be adjusted along the length of the duty belt.
Although previously developed duty belts are effective in coupling accessories to the waist of a user, they are not without their problems. Most notably, previously developed duty belts do not provide for the ergonomic comfort of the user nor do they provide desirable weight distribution of the accessories upon the body of the user. Due to the heavy weight of the accessories, which typically weigh in the range of 15 to 25 lbs. as mentioned above, and due to the non-ergonomic design of previously developed duty belts, many protective personnel have been inflicted with back injuries, discomfort during use, and nerve damage. More specifically, in regard to nerve damage, due to the non-ergonomic design, fairly rigid construction, and limited width of previously developed duty belts, the bottom edge of the duty belt tends to dig in near the hip joint during use. This causes discomfort to the user, and more importantly, puts pressure upon a nerve passing over the hip joint, “pinching” the nerve. The impingement of the duty belt upon the nerve often leads to numbness in the leg(s) and/or nerve damage to the person utilizing the belt.
Further, although the loop attachment systems of previously developed duty belts are effective in coupling the accessory cases upon the duty belt, they are not without their problems. First, the loop encircles the duty belt, thus inserting the material of the loop between the duty belt and the body of the user. The presence of the loop in this location often results in discomfort to the user, and may, if located in the vicinity of a nerve, put pressure upon the nerve, causing discomfort and/or damage. Further still, the loops do not rigidly secure the accessory cases upon the duty belt, allowing the accessory cases to pivot, sway, and rotate and slide upon the belt. This in turn causes user discomfort, uneven weight distribution, impact of the accessories upon the body of the user, and increased difficulty in locating the accessory during an emergency.
Thus, there exists a need for an ergonomic duty belt that is comfortable, reduces nerve damage, aids in the even distribution of weight upon the user, securely holds accessory cases in place, and does not place case securing material, such as loops, between the belt and the user, while also being economical to manufacture, reliable, and able to satisfy the performance expectations of the end user.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.